On October 11th, the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage opened its doors to high school students and their families across the valley. The Coachella Valley Regional College and Career Fair introduced students to different opportunities available to them after high school. The Armed Services, College of the Desert, Career and Technical Education, and different UC and private universities were present at this event. Students were able to interact with these organizations and colleges to decide which path will be best for them after graduation.

Desert Valley Nursing Institute

Many Xavier students attended this event to become more aware of the colleges and universities that would be the best fit for them. I interviewed Andrea Younes (Senior) and the top three schools that she noticed were UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Barbara. She plans to major in Ethnic Studies, so the schools she applies to must have programs that correspond with her interests. When asked about how these three schools enticed her, she said, “After I asked them about their majors they would usually explain the diversity of their school because they could tell that is really important to me. Plus, since these three colleges are in such beautiful locations, they definitely used that to convince me as well.”

The Coachella Valley Regional College and Career Fair was well advertised according to Xavier students. Sam Veliz (Senior) and Emily Quagliani (Sophomore) learned about the fair through Mr. Kulevich and the other counselors. Sam believed that the advertising for the event was effective because he received three emails and posters were located around the campus. However, Emily stated that next year, the College Fair should be included in daily announcements and focused on more. Both students agreed that the college fair was helpful in discovering new information about their universities of interest.

The UCI representative expressing his school spirit.

Dalton Kramer (Junior) explained that she considers going to a Jesuit University because of her time at Xavier. She loves the religious aspect and holistic education of our school, and she would be interested in attending Creighton University, Gonzaga University, or Boston College. She stated, “The college fair has opened my eyes to lots of universities that I am interested in. I don’t necessarily have to attend a huge, well-known school because smaller schools with a sense of community, like Xavier’s, is very appealing.” The College Fair allowed students to come into contact with schools of which they were not aware.

Many post-high school opportunities available to preview. Credit: Justin McWay

Students that attended this event have an advantage when applying to universities. They came into contact with admissions counselors and had face-to-face conversations with representatives of different colleges. These students are also able to ask specific questions that personally apply to them. They are able to see different opportunities available to them such as the Armed Services, vocational schools, and community colleges. The college fair benefits all students across the valley and offers a jump start on college decisions.